Chinese EV maker Zeekr to enter South Korea with 7X

Zeekr said it will enter South Korea with its mid-size SUV 7X.

The company said it is in the final stage of local certification and will decide on additional models based on market demand.

Zeekr said the Korea-bound 7X will be a facelift version and will offer a 75kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and a 100kWh nickel cobalt manganese battery supplied by CATL.

The car will skip LiDAR and higher-level autonomous driving functions due to regulations, but will include Level 2 features like adaptive cruise control and lane centering.

Zeekr plans to sell via dealers and said showrooms and service centers are being set up across South Korea.

🔗 Source: Chosun Daily

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Implications, context, and why it matters.

Zeekr’s Korean push follows domestic pressures

Zeekr is heading into South Korea while China’s EV market keeps squeezing prices and volumes across many brands.
In China, Zeekr deliveries dropped nearly 10% year over year in the second quarter, based on figures cited by 36Kr 1.
The flagship 001, once a strong seller, has taken a “precipitous” hit since rivals arrived, including the Xiaomi SU7, a sedan from Chinese consumer electronics company Xiaomi 1.
The Korea plan also lands during Geely’s integration of Zeekr and Lynk & Co, while Zeekr’s R&D expenses fell 42.9% year over year in the second quarter, according to the same report 1.

The move reveals a new playbook for Chinese automakers

Zeekr’s approach tracks a wider shift among Chinese automakers toward practical workarounds for overseas hurdles.
The company is weighing extended-range plug-in hybrids in Europe, which an executive said could help sidestep European Union tariffs on Chinese-made fully electric cars 2.
In South Korea, Zeekr enters the backyard of Hyundai Motor and Kia as the government seeks to soften the blow from U.S. tariffs that have cut into margins. Hyundai said tariffs cost about 1.8 trillion won in the third quarter 3.
Regulation also shapes the product. Zeekr said the Korea-bound 7X will drop LiDAR (a sensor that uses laser pulses to map surroundings) plus higher-level autonomous driving functions, while keeping Level 2 features such as adaptive cruise control and lane centering.